Self leveling storing and dispensing apparatus



Nov. 5, 1957 c. H. LARSEN 2,812,104

SELF LEVELING STORING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8; 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR CARL H. LARSEN 7-May ATTO R N EY Nov. 5, 1957 c. H. LARSEN2,812,104

I SELF LEVELING STORING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CARL H. LARSEN amsaij ATTORNEY United StatesPatent Ofiice Patented Nov. 5, 1957 SELF LEVELING STORING AND DISPENSINAPPARATUS I I Carl H. Larsen, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to AmericanMachine & Foundry Company, a corporation Application November 8, 1954,Serial No. 467,555 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-93) This invention relates to animproved self-leveling, storing and dispensing apparatus andparticularly to apparatus of the type employed for storing material inbulk.

Heretofore various types of self-leveling dispensers have been designed,including structures suitable for storing material in bulk without theuse of tote boxes. One difficulty frequently encountered in storingmaterial in bulk was due to the bulk material falling into the slotthrough which the table carrier arms projected. Even though these slotswere made as small as possible, the bulk material, especially when itwas of a small size and irregular shape, would catch in the slot,thereby preventing the carrier from ascending.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved self-levelingdispenser for storing bulk material wherein the slots through which thecarrier arms project are covered and uncovered as the carrier descendsand ascends.

Another object of this application is to provide a thin flexiblecovering tape which will be pulled down in front ofthe slot as thecarrier is loaded, so as to prevent bulk material from falling into theslot.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as thedescription of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustratethe invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, like characters of reference have beenapplied to corresponding parts throughoutthe several views which make upthe drawings.

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of my improved storing anddispensing apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

The self-leveling, storing and dispensing apparatus I have used toillustrate the invention consists of a rectangular base to which issecured an upright rectangular shell formed by the walls 14, 16, 18 and20 surrounding the vertically movable cantilever carrier. The latterconsists of a pair of spaced carrier supports 22 each of which protrudeswith one end through a vertical slot 25 and 26 respectively of avertical separator wall 24 secured within the shell and spaced adjacentto the end wall 14. The separator wall 24 is secured to the two sidewalls 18 and 20 of the shell by means of a pair of upright angle irons12 which also provide a suitable amount of rigidity to the ends of saidwall.

To the end portion 28 of each carrier support 22 are pivotally mountedtwo rollers 30 and 32 arranged and spaced in such a manner that rollers30 of the two carrier supports contact one side of the upright separatorwall 24 while the rollers 32 engaged with the respective flanges of theupright angle irons 12 on the opposite side of said wall 24. A tray 34is mounted on the cantilever support 22 for holding and supporting thebottom of the bulk material stacked in the self-leveling, storing anddispensing apparatus.

Sprocket chains 36 are connected at one end to the carrier supportportions 28 and pass upwardly around sprocket 38, then downwardly andupwardly around sprockets 40 to an anchorage 41 to whichthe ends of thesprocket chain are secured by means of a suitable bolt 43 and nut 45.The loop in the sprocket chain 36 in which the sprockets 40 aresupported moves up and down opposite to the movement of the carrier 22.

The sprockets 48 are mounted on a saddle shaft 42. One end of thecalibrated tension springs 44 is connected to the saddle shaft 42 whilethe other end of the calibrated tension springs 44 is fixedly connectedto the base 10 of the self-leveling dispenser by means of a suitableanchor 46.

A pair of rollers 48 are mounted for free rotary movement on the sameshaft 37 as supports the sprockets 38 and a second set of rollers 50 ispivoted to a pair of stubs 51 in the lower portion of the shell as shownin Fig. l and Fig. 2. The rollers 48 and 51 are so positioned that theywill be in front of the slots 25 and 26.

A pair of flat steel bands 52 are connected at one end by suitable meanssuch as the angle plates 54 to the carrier support 22 and extendupwardly covering the front of the slots 25 anl 26 and pass in throughthe enlarged portions 27 and 29 at the upper end of said slots 25 and 26and then over the rollers 48, then downwardly around the lower rollers50 and then upwardly again to the portion 28 of carrier arms 22. The endof the bands 52 is connected to the portion 28 by suitable means such asthe bolt 56. A suitable spring 58 interconnects the bolt 56 and the endof the flat steel tapes 52 to apply a slight tension to the flat steelspring 52.

The entire self-leveling, storing and dispensing apparatus may bemovably supported by mounting corners of the base 10 on suitable casters60. The empty carrier has been shown in a partially depressed positionwhich it would occupy if it were half loaded with material. No materialhas been shown supported on top of the pan 34 to facilitate illustratingthe structure of the selfleveling, storing and dispensing apparatus.

The operation of the self-leveling, storing and dispensing apparatus maybe briefly described as follows. When the self-leveling, storing anddisepensing apparatus is empty the cantilever bracket will be in itsuppermost position so that the arms 28 touch the top of the slots 27 and29 which limits the distance the cantilever platform 22 can travel whenthe unit is empty.

When bulk material is placed on top of the pan 34 it causes thecantilever support 22 to move downwardly pulling with it the sprocketchains 36 and the steel tapes 52. When the sprocket chains 36 are pulleddownwardly in this manner they shorten the loop in which the sprockets40 are supported, thereby causing the counterbalancing springs to bestretched. The cantilever platform 22 is allowed to descend by thecounterbalancing springs a distance under the weight of the materialplaced on the carrier which will maintain the top of the materialsupported thereon at a substantially constant elevation.

The steel springs 52 in descending in front of the slots 25 and 26prevent the bulk material from falling into these slots. When thematerial is unloaded from the selfleveling, storing and dispensingapparatus, the cantilever platform 22 is moved upwardly, under theaction of the calibrated counterbalancing tension springs. As thecantilever platform 22 moves upwardly, because of the fact that theopposite end of the steel tapes 52 are also connected to the cantileversupport 22, it pulls the tape upwardly in front of the slots, so that atall times the slot is covered and the tape 52 moves a distancecorresponding to the distance the carrier platform 22 is moved.

It will be appreciated that while I have shown a cantilever platformused with my invention it is also possible to employ this invention witheither more or fewer slots than shown. For example, apparatus having asingle slot, such as shown in U. S. Patent 2,692,177, granted to Carl H.Larsen on October 19, 1954, an apparatus having four slots such as shownin U. S. Patent 2,626,727, granted to William Gibbs et al. on January27, 1953, may advantageously employ this invention;

The invention hereinabove described may be varied in construction withinthe scope of the claims, forthe particular device selected to illustratethe invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. Theinvention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details ofthe structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-leveling, storing and dispensing apparatus comprising a base,walls extending upwardly from said base, defining a shell, a materialstoring platform in said shell traveling up and down relative to onewall thereof, said one wall having a slotted opening formed therein forreceiving an arm of said platform, eounterbalancing means on the outsideof said one wall extending downwardly from the top thereof and connectedto said arm for counterbalancing the weight of the material supported onsaid platform so as to maintain the top of the material at a constantelevation, a steel tape passing over the top of the saidone wall anddownwardly within the shell in front of said slot and having one endthereof connected to said arm to close off said slot as said materialsupporting platform descends to prevent material from falling into saidslot.

2. A self leveling, storing, and dispensingapparatus comprising a base,walls extending upwardly from said base and defining a shell, a materialstoring platform in said shell traveling up and down relative to saidshell, one of said walls having a vertically slotted opening formedtherein, an arm extending from said platform, through said slottedopening, counterbalancing means mounted on the other side of said walland movable up and down relative to said slot and connected to said armfor counterbalancing the weight of the material supported on saidplatform so as to maintain the top of the material at a constantelevation, a steel tape passing downwardly inside of said shell from thetop of the wall having the slotted opening and in front of the slot, oneend of said tape being connected to said arm to close 01f said slot assaid material supporting platform descends to prevent material fromfalling into said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS733,418 Park July 14, 1903 1,144,928 Adair et al. June 29, 19151,789,773 Rasch Jan. 20, 1931 2,392,604 Mallory Jan. 8, 1946 2,536,848Hoffmann Jan. 2, 1951 2,626,727 Gibbs et al. Jan. 27, 1953 2,692,177Larsen Oct. 19, 1954

